Mormon Stories Podcast

Welcome back to Part Two of our deep-dive coverage of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 3! In this episode, John is joined by Alyssa Alexander and Samantha Shelley to continue unpacking the plot-points this season that highly represent Mormon culture. We will take a closer look at Mikayla and Jace’s relationship, the cast's opinions on LGBT+ issues in Utah, Demi’s claim of sexual-assault , a...

We are back today with Part 2 of our epic interview with Heidi Bruno. In Part 1, Heidi shared her story of suffering sexual abuse as a teenager at the hands of the Elders Quorum President in her ward. In Part 2, we shift the focus to Heidi’s daughter, Holly, who was diagnosed with cancer at the age of eight and tragically passed away in March of 2018. Heidi describes the inspiring movement that Ho...

Join us today for the start of an epic two-part episode with Heidi Bruno, who is here to share her story of abuse within the church and her experience of losing a child as a Mormon mother. In Part 1, Heidi details her history of sexual abuse as a teenager by the Elders Quorum President in her ward—while her father was serving as bishop. We discuss how her abuser groomed her using highly manipulati...

In this episode (Part 24), we dive into one of the most dramatic and painful chapters in early Letter-day Saint history: Liberty Jail.  Joseph Smith was arrested on December 1, 1838 and eventually taken to Liberty Jail. Today we will cover his imprisonment, the chaotic legal proceedings that followed, and the eventual “escape” that allowed him to reunite with his family as the Saints resettled in...

Welcome to another episode of our LDS Discussions series! In this episode, we take a detailed, evidence-based look at one of the most repeated claims in Latter-day Saint apologetics: that Joseph Smith was incapable of producing a well-written text –and therefore could not have authored the Book of Mormon. Drawing from Joseph Smith’s three earliest letters (written in 1829-1830), historical context...

We at Mormon Stories Podcast worked super hard to deliver quality programming in 2025. We have great plans for 2026 which include: More high quality, in-depth, classic, long form faith journey stories with Margi Dehlin. The completion of the "Life of Joseph Smith" series with Dr. John Turner (including SEVERAL chapters on Nauvoo Polygamy!!!). John says you won't want to miss these. A further reboo...

Welcome back to our deep-dive coverage of Secret lives of Mormon Wives! In this episode, we break down every twist, confession, and jaw-dropping moment from Season 3 with honest reactions, analysis, and plenty of laughs along the way. Our panelists today are: Hayley Rawle (of Girl's Camp Podcast), Alyssa Alexander, Smantha Shelley (of Zelph on the Shelf), Brooklyn Alden and Dr. John Dehlin. If...

Welcome to Part 23 of our Joseph Smith the Podcast series with Dr. John G. Turner. Today we are continuing our discussion of Chapter 19 of his new book “Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet” that covers the years 1838-1839 in Missouri. Today we will dive deeper into one of the most volatile and consequential moments in early Latter-day Saint history: the escalating conflict betwe...

In part two of this important series with Rebecca Lucero Jones, we explore the question: What happens when a Mormon widow tries to be sealed to two men? In the LDS faith, a man can be sealed to a second wife if his first wife passes away. But, as we will learn from Rebecca’s story, Mormon widows do not receive the same treatment. After the death of her first husband, Rebecca describes what it was...

Today we are kicking off our two-part series with Rebecca Lucero Jones, who is here to share her story of losing her husband and the unique complications widows face within the Mormon faith. We will be examining the question of what the Mormon afterlife looks like for widows. In Part 1, Rebecca describes her Mormon upbringing and her eventual marriage to her first husband, Isaac, with whom she had...

Welcome back for Part 22 of our Joseph Smith the Podcast series with Dr. John G. Turner as we continue to cover his new book “Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet.” In this episode, we explore one of the most controversial and lesser-known chapters in early Latter-day Saint history –the rise of the Danites, a secretive paramilitary organization formed during the turbulent Missour...

In this fascinating interview, author and journalist Alex Beam joins Mormon Stories to discuss his new biography titled Wallace Stegner: Dean of Western Writers –published by Signature Books. Alex Beam is an acclaimed journalist and author known for his insightful historical biographies. Historian and executive director of Signature Books, Barbara Jones Brown is also joining us today! Beam explore...

In this explosive deep-dive, John Dehlin and Carah Burrell unpack the shocking rise, fall, and reinvention of Tim Ballard, the founder of Operation Underground Railroad and former ally of the LDS Church, as well as the self-styled hero of the Sound of Freedom movie. From his alleged misconduct and excommunication to conspiracy claims about “The Deep Church,” Tim Ballard’s story intertwines faith,...

We are back today with part 21 of our Joseph Smith Podcast series with Dr. John Turner, discussing his new book Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet. In this episode, we explore one of the most fascinating and consequential moments in early Latter-day Saint history –the Kirtland Bank Scandal. Chapter 18 titled “Follies” (1836-1837), captures a turbulent period when Joseph SMith a...

Is Nahom really the strongest evidence for the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon? In this episode, we take a deep dive into noe of the most cited archaeological “proofs” of the Book of Mormon -the discovery of altars inscribed with the letters NHM in Yemen. John Dehlin and attorney and former clerk from the Idaho Supreme Court, Kolby Reddish examine what the text of the Book of Mormon actually sa...

In this episode of Mormon Stories, John and Margi Dehlin sit down with Sharon Beesley, a therapist, writer and former Mormon “mommy blogger,” to explore the evolution of her faith journey in Mormonism. Sharon was brought into the church as a child in Florida when her mother chose to convert. She discusses the warmth and community she found in her ward there, and the early testimonies that grounded...

Welcome to part 20 of our epic series on Dr. John G. Turner’s landmark biography, “Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet.” Things are really heating up as we enter the mid-1830s in the life of Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter-day Saint movement. This episode dives into one of the most controversial and debated episodes in early Mormon history –Joseph’s relationship with Fanny A...

Sandra Tanner is back with us on LDS Discussions to conclude our conversation on three new church essays recently published by the LDS Church. In this episode, we’ll finish our coverage of the essay on polygamy and move on to the final essay, which addresses the character of Joseph Smith. Topics include: -Joseph’s failed prophecies -Joseph’s treatment of Emma -Joseph’s 21 criminal cases Join us as...

Caroline Barrow was raised in a typical Mormon household in Louisiana. While she was a faithful believer in the Church, she always had questions about certain teachings but was often encouraged to halt her critical thinking on these issues. She chose to attend BYU and serve a Mormon mission, but continued to be plagued by questions—particularly around polygamy and the treatment of women in the LDS...

In part 19 of our deep-dive into Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet by Dr. John G. Turner, we explore the fascinating events surrounding the Kirtland Temple dedication (that took place in 1836) in Kirtland, Ohio. This episode focuses on Chapter 17, examining key developments in early Latter-day Saint ritual practice –including solemn assemblies, washings and anointings, the was...

Join John Dehlin, Julie Hanks, Jana Spangler, and Beau Oyler (the Mormon Bridgebuilders) as we review a new analysis of LDS Church members by Alex Bass. Links: - Alex Bass's study - Benjamin Park's Analysis - SL Tribune Article - Robert Kirby's 5 Types of Mormons 00:00:00 Introduction 00:06:15 Maddie Packer clip 00:11:29 Julie’s response to this clip 00:16:44 How social media plays into the proble...

Today we welcome to the podcast Keira Shae, who joins us to share her story of converting to the LDS Church as a teenager while growing up in an abusive home. Living in Utah, Keira was surrounded by Mormons and idealized them as a contrast to her tumultuous home life. Around the age of fifteen, she went to live with a foster family who required her to follow church guidelines very rigidly. At the...

Welcome back to Part 18 of our Joseph Smith Podcast series, where we continue our in-depth exploration of Dr. John Turner’s groundbreaking biography, Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet. In this episode, we dive into parts of Chapter 16 and 17 –two of the most dramatic and revealing sections yet. We cover the explosive sibling feud between Joseph Smith and his brother William, e...

Today, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced a new Prophet and First Presidency. Following the passing of President Russell M. Nelson, senior apostle Dallin H. Oaks has been called as the next Prophet and President of the Church, with Henry B. Eyring and D. Todd Christofferson as his counselors. In this livestream reaction episode, we discuss the LDS system of prophetic success...

In this powerful and first-ever interview with a Latter-day Saint convert from Kenya, we explore the remarkable faith journey of Dr. Joe Ngatia (pronounced “ga-tia”). Africa has become one of the fastest growing regions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, yet Joe’s story reveals the complexities behind that growth – from faith and miracles to history, race, and resilience. Joe sha...